Lost Fables
by B. and the Jetts
Summary: After Leviathan striked and Talia took Damian away, Dick kept thinking seeing the boy again, but never like this.
1. Leash

"Ah... There you are. For a moment I thought we'd lost you."

Dick opens sluggish eyes and it takes him a second to realize the words were directed at him. His head is swimming though he can't really move it, from what he can gather, it's trapped to some sort of medieval contraption.

He's not hurting, but he's pretty sure that could change in a blink of an eye.

"I must apologize for your current situation, but you and I both know you wouldn't be cooperative otherwise."

There is no need to see who's talking to him, he knows that voice, but she comes into view nonetheless.

_Talia._ Dick tries to snarl her name, but the contraption keeps his jaw locked. She smiles.

"Is that look supposed to scare me? Can't we be civil about this? It would be simpler for us all."

She looks older, but not nearly enough as she should have. Dick guesses that having an endless amount of money combined with cutting edge technology might've contributed for that, it doesn't make him any less annoyed that she's still so beautiful.

Another figure stepped in, taller than Talia. Dick strained his still bleary eyes to see more and was greeted with bare feet, black lounge pants and a white undershirt. The head was covered by a towel as if the guy had just stepped out of a shower and was drying his hair.

Talia shot the newcomer a dirty look and hissed through clenched teeth "We have a guest."

The guy let the towel hang around his neck and barely sparred Dick a glance "Another one, mother? You're burning through them rather quickly."

Dick would be gaping if not for the whatever trapping him. _Mother._ The guy was Damian.

"He is not mine, beloved. Out guest is here for other purposes."

Somewhere in Dick's mind, he was aware that Talia was talking to him now, maybe even threatening him, but he was way too busy staring at Damian.

The kid – because Dick couldn't think of him in a different way, even when he was _that_ freaking tall – fell seated on a chair by the table behind Talia and began plucking grapes into his mouth, detached and bored.

His hair was longer than Dick remembered it ever being, his shoulders were broad and though he was obviously strong, he was surprisingly lean. His face was a whole different deal, made of a perfect blend of Talia and Bruce's best features. It was mesmerizing trying to pick them apart, Dick thought he could spend a week just checking things off an imaginary list – Talia's eyes, check. Bruce's eye color, check. Talia's skin, check. Bruce's build, check.

Dick was wondering if Talia planned for that, if it was somehow the product of her engineering when her words finally made their way to his brain "… though I don't really approve of your… origin per say, you will undoubtedly be an excellent pet."

Oh, he should've listened. He blinked and kinda hoped she decided to explain that last part again. No such luck.

"I have no desire for a pet, mother." Damian stated resolute, even if his whole demeanor stayed the same.

Talia threaded her fingers through his hair just before she yanked his head back so they could look at each other. "It is a present, my darling."

"Thank you, mother." Damian said with no inflection at all, it was incredibly condescending "May I leave now?" he swatted her hand away with ease and stood without waiting for an answer.

"Take your pet with you."

Dick thought of Titus instantly, then realized that the thing stuck to his head came all the way down to his shoulders – for him to look around, he had to turn his whole body – and the thing Talia was offering Damian now was a leash that sprung out of his neck. He wanted to be worried, but this situation was so far beyond his comprehension that it left him feeling numb.

"I do not want a pet. Do as you please with him."

"Do you even recognize him?"

Damian gazed at Dick and took a deep breath, the words fell mechanically from his lips "Richard John Grayson, orphaned at the age of eight, parents killed by a mobster named Tony Zucco. First Robin, current Nightwing. He sometimes stands in for Batman if necessary. Shall I recite his date of birth and favorite color too? I know who this is, mother. I simply have no interest in either of you."

It gave Dick a sick feeling hearing Damian stating facts about his life so coolly. He hadn't seen Damian since Talia revealed herself as Leviathan's head and demanded her son back. Bruce seeing no other way to stop her – and talking about a crazy dream where Gotham was destroyed – actually conceded. Talia disappeared completely after that, still handling her operation, but never getting involved directly.

They looked for Damian everywhere.

"You shouldn't refuse gifts, child." Talia's voice – sickly sweet – cut through Dick reminiscence "The consequences are just not worth the trouble, don't you think so?"

Damian rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, looking suddenly tired, like he had just about enough of Talia's bullshit, but then he said "Does he still talk? Or have you _fixed_ that?"

"Stop saying nonsense, beloved. Would I give you a defective pet?" she pushed the leash into his hands.

Damian stared at it with the same blank expression he'd been carrying since he came in and gave it a light tug "Come." Dick didn't move, unable to believe Damian was really going with this. The next tug was stronger "_Come._"

* * *

**A/N.:** This was supposed to be waaaaay darker than it ended up being.

I wanted Damian to be all evil and mean and Dick to be kind of a damsel in distress, but it turns out that I can't write completely evil Damian.

I hope you guys can still give it a chance.

Reviews are highly apreciated


	2. Breathe

Dick had no idea it would be so difficult to walk without moving his head or shoulders. The hallways were dark and Dick only had the back of Damian's neck to focus on.

He wanted to talk, there were so many things he needed to ask, but even if he could get Damian's attention, his mouth was sealed shut.

They entered a bedroom and before Dick could take a labored look around, Damian shoved his shoulder lightly. The heavy contraption kept Dick from regaining his balance – or moving much of his upper arms – and he fell back, landing heavily on soft cushions.

Damian sat down on the edge of the bed and buried his face in his hands, breathing deeply before turning his attention to Dick "I apologize" he says in a businesslike manner that makes Dick shift uncomfortably "She tends to get like that sometimes. But you mustn't worry, soon enough mother will find some other unfortunate soul to hassle. Things will be easier then."

_Why?_ _Why didn't you contact any of us? Why are you listening to Talia at all? Why am I still wearing a _fucking_ leash?_

The questions in Dick's eyes all flew right over Damian's head, and the kid leaned back and stretched his neck to look out the window for an instant, then straightened and stood.

"Excuse me."

Dick was left alone. He wanted to scream at Damian to come the fuck back right now and shed some light in what happened during the years they were apart, but the sound that came out of him sounded more like a pained groan than anything else.

His hands were shackled, but the chains were so long he could move them freely. That is, if he didn't have that thing trapping his shoulders, which really meant he was pretty much stuck. Couldn't even scratch his nose, that of course started itching uncontrollably at the thought.

He sighed and closed his eyes and suddenly there were hands all over him. Pulling, scratching, suffocating him, but Dick couldn't see who was doing that. Just faceless hands trying to choke the life out of him. Dick starts thrashing with all his might and the hands just got more and more vicious.

"Breathe, Richard!" there was a different hand accompanying the voice, and Dick tried to focus on the warm touch instead of the clawing that tore his skin.

Damian's very serious face was hovering over Dick's, eyes so bright they looked like tiny beacons in the darkness of the bedroom, it was so fucking unnatural that Dick wanted to turn away but couldn't.

"It's not real. Whatever it is you're seeing or feeling, it is not real." Damian tells him slowly "Mother drugged you to bring you here, the effects are paranoia and hallucinations." he paused, waiting for Dick to show some sign of understanding, once he got a nod, he continued "It won't last long, but it will cause you sizeable discomfort. Here, drink this."

Dick takes the offered glass of water, only then to realize he was free from the contraption, which was good, and that Damian was holding him down with a hand on his shoulder and straddling his legs, which was kind of claustrophobic and creepy.

"Why?" Dick breathed – still felling the phantom claws on his chest – because this was the most important question.

If he could figure out why this was happening, why Damian had never tried to come back to them, then Dick would know how to make things right.

Damian guided Dick's hand gently up until the rim of the glass touched Dick's lips. "Water will help to clear your head."

"No, I meant-"

"_Drink._" Damian told him again, a bit stern.

As Dick drank, Damian unshackled him, letting the chains fall to the ground with a loud clank. After that he took Dick´s face between his hands and stared into his eyes "Are you feeling ill?"

Dick inhaled deeply, taking account of his non-existing injuries "No." Damian assented silently and stood. Dick tried to steady his hands, but they kept shivering around the glass "What now?"

"You sleep." Damian sits down on the bed motioning for Dick to keep drinking.

"No…" he takes another sip "What are you gonna do to me?"

Damian peers blankly at him through locks of hair so long that don't quite manage to stay upright "And would you have me do to you, Richard?" it's the same condescending tone he used on Talia before, but there's an underlying anger now.

"Well, aren't you gonna take me for a walk?" Dick quips back, feeling more like himself enough to get riled up when Damian rolls his eyes "I am your _pet_ after all. Do I have my own sandbox or are you installing a dog door? 'Cause I wouldn't want to piss on your carpet after I finish my water."

Damian still looked as if Dick was a child having a particularly tedious temper tantrum, "You can _piss_ wherever you want, as far as I can tell the world is your bathroom." he throws himself on his back the mattress, placing an arm over his face "And if you had been paying attention for once in your life, you would know by now that I have no intention of keeping you. As a pet or not."

"So we aren't even going to talk about this, you're just gonna get rid of me." he thinks about standing, but the world spins a little faster before he can even make an attempt "Are you at least sending my body back or are you dropping me into a ditch somewhere?"

"Can't you see that if I wanted you dead, you'd be rotting by now? It might shock you, but I am not my mother."

"Oh great! So you don't want me _dead_ per say, just metaphorically. No one knows where I am, _I_ don't even know where I am, and I'll just have to spend the rest of my, most likely short, life as a sex slave or something for you and your crazy ass mother!"

Damian sat up slowly, dumbfounded "Am I not speaking English? Or are you trying my patience on purpose? Perhaps I should do what everyone seems to expect of me and torture, fuck and kill you." he stands again, closing the short distance between them in unhurried steps "Then will you be happy?" he straddles Dick's legs again, placing one hand on either side of his head, essentially trapping Dick once more "If I leave you to bleed to death after I rape you, will you die content with the knowledge that you were right?"

Dick doesn't – _can't_ – answer. There's no way he can fight Damian off, not with the way he's still seeing shapes moving out of the corner of his eyes, or how his hands are still shaking. Damian's hot breath is already brushing his lips, and there's only one thing he can do, the _only_ thing he can think of to buy him at least a couple of seconds – if he's honest, this is his last act of defiance, so let's make it a good one.

Moving shouldn't take so much effort, but he still does it. One quick flick of his wrist and Damian's gaping at him, face dripping wet. They look down at the empty glass on Dick's hands at the same time

"I threaten you with rape and you throw water at me." Damian sits back on his haunches – more on Dick's knees, actually – and Dick swears he sounds amused.

"Yeah, well…" Dick shrugs "I had to do _something_ and I think the drug's still screwing me up, your eyes are all kinds of lit up and it's creeping me out so yeah… Not really a fair fight."

Dick's not sure if it was also some hallucination or if that was really a half smile playing on Damian's lips "I suppose you're right." when he stands, his head is bowed trying to hide his little grin almost shyly "Let's get back to this once you're not in such a foul mood."

"What?!" Dick nearly shrieked "You're joking right?" he says with a hysterical little laugh "_Right?_"

This time, both corners of Damian's lips turn up "I'll have you home within a week, Grayson. Alive, before you ask. Virtue intact."

"_Why?_"

"For the last time, I don't want you here." Damian lies down on the bed, already closing his eyes, obviously intending to end the conversation.

Dick almost keeps quiet, but the questions are building up by the minute "Why didn't you contact us? We looked _everywhere_ for you."

There's a long silence in which Dick decided to make himself comfortable, letting his strung out body melt onto the couch.

"I think we both know why I've kept my distance, Grayson" all the amusement is gone and Damian's back to sounding like a pompous detached asshole "Sleep now, and whatever happens during the night _don't react_. I'll handle it."

Dick has no idea what that's supposed to mean, but his brain is already shutting down, and he lets it.

* * *

**A/N.:** See? Damian might be acting like a douche, but I simply can't write him completely evil... I love him too much.

Weirder things are coming...


	3. Alone

Dick woke up alone.

If he didn't have such a vivid memory of almost being kissed by Damian the night before, he might've thought he was at home. He stood, feeling all his bones snapping back into place, and though there wasn't any more numbness, his neck and shoulders were so tense they almost hurt.

In the daylight the room looked different, there were warm colors everywhere, on the walls, over the huge bed and on the fine silky fabric dangling softly in front of the window. The breeze that filtered through was warm, it made Dick feel like a person again.

Outside the bedroom was a whole other world, painted in grey with cold damp air that threatened to damp Dick's hair and grow mold on his neck, he rubbed a hand over his face, pushing the hair away and kept walking. He was still dressed in the polo shirt, jeans and sneakers he'd been wearing pre-kidnaping and the whole medieval décor made him stand out ridiculously, but hey, he could still kick ninja ass. If he could find any that is, 'cause the hallways were deserted, which got him worried, but mainly disappointed.

Dick really needed to do some serious ass kicking to regain some self-esteem. Seriously, he'd been kidnapped – that shouldn't happen once the green hot pants were out of the picture. He _outgrew_ that – but that wasn't enough, no… why would it be? The whole point of this was turning him into his former sidekick's bitch.

By some trick of fate, Damian was even more desperate to get rid of him than Dick was to get the hell out of there. He didn't understand _why_ Damian was acting so weirdly towards him when he had really missed the kid. In fact, he didn't understand Damian at all, but wasn't exactly complaining about the turn of events since the alternative was… well… being Damian's bitch.

He heard the sounds of people coming and searched for the closest door he could find – not being able to blend in with the shadows _sucked_ – and slipped in silently. It was another bedroom, smaller than Damian's, but not so bare; it looked lived in.

Dick kept close to the door listening for steps, but his eyes passed by a drawing pinned to the headboard and he had to do a double take. It was Titus.

The whole sheet of paper was a series of sketches of Titus, there was no mistaking it. He tried to inspect the other drawings closer, but the door was thrown open and seven – as far as Dick could see – huge bodyguard types were blocking his way out.

They never said a thing, two of them stepped forward, grabbed him by the arms, nearly taking his feet off the floor and dragged him away. He tried to keep track of all the turns, but the fucking place feels like a labyrinth, and Dick's pretty sure that this was their intention.

"Hello, Mr. Grayson" Talia says with a smile as Dick's being placed down. He was not sure, but this looked like the room where he first woke up in. "I must ask what is a pet doing wondering around unattended, absent his leash?" Talia gestured lazily with her hand and the bodyguards stood side by side as a wall beside a real one.

"What are you playing at, huh?" he asks focusing on the door behind Talia. It's a long shot, but he has to keep his options open "Do you think taking me will get you under Bruce's radar again? I thought we had passed that. It's getting sad."

She smiles again, graciously "Ubu."

One of the bodyguards steps towards Dick and backhands him so hard he collapses, hitting his head on the table on the way down.

"The real sad thing" Talia says, leaning in close "is that you believe that you can still find your way out of this with a quick tongue and fancy footwork. I know what you can do and how to prevent it."

Dick wiped the blood from his broken lip, not caring to do the same with the cut on his hairline. "You gotta know this pet thing is ridiculous! It's not like you people don't have the money for a hooker, they do most of this crap willingly."

She squints thoughtfully "Damian hasn't used you for anything, has he?" her words are followed by a long suffering sigh "I cannot for the life of me comprehend why that child is so hell bent on disappointing me. It is such a waste, don't you think so, Ubu?"

Still on his spot on the floor, Dick cuts his eyes to Ubu, trying to decide if the big guy is enjoying Talia's little show, but can't read a thing from his expression.

"Yes, mistress."

"So easy on the eyes…" Talia runs her fingers through Dick's hair, and he dodges her hand only to be caught by the shoulder in Ubu's iron grip "I only wish I could see more of him, what about you, Ubu?"

Ubu pulls Dick up by the back of his shirt and comes at him with a knife.

The odds suck. Close quarters, huge obedient lackeys not opposed to killing, Talia's murderous glee… It's not looking good.

Oh well.

Dick throws himself on his back on the table top, kicking Ubu's knife away in the process. With his hands, he finishes the backflip motion, putting enough distance between them to get some perspective.

He doesn't have any time.

The other guys joined in, pulling at his legs as he tries to climb over the chandelier. They drag him down – along with the chandelier – and once his back hits the floor he's being kicked mercilessly.

Seconds go by, even if they feel like fucking _hours_, and finally Talia tells them to stop. Ubu is back with the knife and there goes Dick's shirt.

"Goddam it woman, you are _pushy_!" Dick quips with a labored breath.

"So noisy…" she moans, walking a circle around him "But you sure are pretty. Ubu, won't you do me a favor and break him in for me. I don't want this feistiness getting in the way of things later."

Dick almost gets to the door, he really does. But Ubu pushes him into the door, instead of pulling him away – as Dick had expected – and Talia has the nerve of wincing in sympathy as Dick's head bounces off the wood.

When you're a vigilante, swimming vision is the least of your problems, so Dick slips away, pulling Ubu's arm up with one hand and jabbing his elbow with the other. The angle is not quite right, the arm doesn't break, but Ubu gets pissed.

He swings at Dick's head, which is easily deflected, but there is not enough space for a clean escape, and Dick is suddenly pressed against the table again. Ubu reach is unbelievable and his hand engulfs the back of Dick's neck and slams his upper body down on the tabletop.

Talia laughs out loud, delighted "That was _lovely!_ Continue, please."

"One would think Grayson was brought for _my_ entertainment." Dick can't really see Damian, but Ubu's hand – the one not pinning him down – stops fumbling with his belt, and that's good enough for now "You know I do not like to share, mother."

"_Share?_" Talia echoes, irritably "You've made it perfectly clear you don't want to have anything to do with him, I am merely cleaning up your mess."

"Isn't he mine?" Damian asks deceptively perplexed.

Dick takes the chance to elbow Ubu on the ribs and free himself, this time there's no interference from anyone. Damian's hair is wet and he looks freshly showered – and why the hell does he keep taking so many showers anyway? –, he only gives Dick a displeased once over and turns his attention back to his mother.

"That was the plan, yes." Talia glares "Do you know why I chose you, Mr. Grayson?" Dick doesn't answer and she didn't seem to be expecting it anyway, eyes trained on Damian "My son had grown rather fond of you. During his first days back he'd be constantly found staring dreamily out the window. I tried to show him reason time and time again, but mine is a frustrating child and all my efforts were being wasted. Then one day, I pushed the right buttons and he tells me in no uncertain terms 'Grayson will come for me'. Not father. Not even Batman. _Grayson_."

Damian's smile is cutting "And here I was, so worried about how fast you were growing senile, mother… But now I see your memories are not completely damaged yet."

"You see, Mr. Grayson. I believed that by bringing you here, Damian would finally grow out of his schoolboy's crush."

Damian lets his head fall back dramatically "Fine, be that way. Call the ninjas and play your little gladiator games, have Ubu fuck him, drain him dry as you have done with all others. I will not be bothered by this."

"Stay." Talia commands.

Damian doesn't stop, but the guards block his way. Dick only sees the glint of a blade before it disappears, buried on the closest man's neck. The body falls and there's a moment of hesitation from the others where Damian keeps moving.

"Do you really care that little?" Talia asks to her son's back "If that's so, I will just end this charade and shoot him." she illustrates her words by pulling a gun from her garter and aiming at Dick.

"Be my guest." Damian shoots back, already turning a corner.

Dick was pretty sure Talia would be so happy with Damian's answer she would… He had no idea what she did when she was happy, but it didn't matter, she _wasn't_ happy.

The woman went berserk.

"Bring him to me!" she bellowed and the remaining guards – with the exception of Ubu – left the room.

Only three made it back with Damian in tow, and they didn't look all that great. In fact, despite the fact that two of them had Damian by the arms while the other pressed a blade against his throat, Damian was the happier of the bunch with a small smirk tugging at his lips.

Talia grabbed Damian's face, digging her nails into his cheek "You _owe_ me respect."

Damian sneered "I owe you nothing."

"Where do you think this will get you? Do you really believe this will not have consequences?"

"And what could you possibly do to me, mother?" he asks calmly "Will you incapacitate me? No, you need me mobile. Maybe you'll disfigure me. But can _you_ handle it? Having the world know you are the progenitor of something so appalling? No. You have done your worse and now you have nothing."

There's trickling blood on Damian's cheek coming from the marks left by Talia's fingernails when she steps away, frazzled.

Ubu steps forth then and strikes Damian across the jaw, but instead of toppling, Damian straightens again and takes another blow. And another. And another.

"Ubu, stop." Talia murmurs, touching a hand to the bodyguards shoulder.

Damian takes a deep breath, spits a mouthful of blood on the corpse beside his feet, gives Talia a scornful head bow and leaves.

Dick startles when it downs on him that he's alone with them again. Shirtless, with his pants half undone. Half beaten to shit too.

He jumps over the table and is out of there so fast no one has time to react.

It passes his mind that running through the halls blindly might not be the best idea when he collides into Damian's back.

They stare at each other both breathing heavily, though Dick's pretty sure it not for the same reason. A moment goes by before Damian exhales loudly "Come."

Dick grabs his shoulder and turns him around "You left me there to die."

"What?"

"I could've died back there."

"So could I. I don't see your point."

"She had a gun to my face and you left!"

Damian blinks expressionless "So you think I've abandoned you on the hands of a mad woman."

"Yeah!"

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine how that feels." he takes Dick by the wrist "Come."

He shakes his hand free, but knows to keep following "What the fuck is going on here, Damian?"

"This is me, on my way to ruling the world. Not as glamorous as you would have thought now, is it?"

"So _this_ is what you want? Why are you even here?"

"And where would you have me go?" Damian's voice was getting snappy.

"Home." Dick walked faster crowding Damian, because he needed to get a reaction out of him. A real reaction.

"I have no home."

"Are you even listening to the crap sprouting out of your mouth?"

Damian stops to take a calming breath, clenching his fingers. "What do you want me to say?"

"Well, the truth, for starters! And turn the fuck around, talking to the back of your neck is pissing me off."

Damian shoots him a look and walks the final steps to his bedroom "Stop with the caring act."

"It's not an act! Why the hell is it so hard for you to believe that?"

"Because you left me here!" Damian explodes and grimaces instantly, stepping away, seeking refuge on his window.

"I looked for you" Dick comes closer, keeping his tone soft "Everyone looked for you for _months_. Talia was completely off our radar."

"Richard, don't be naïve." Damian tells him broodingly from his perch on the windowsill, it was hard to tell his expression through the moving curtains "Father never intended on bringing me back."

"That's not true, he was desperate-"

"_No_. He wasn't." Damian is not upset, he's barely melancholic "Think about it, won't you? This is a man with immense financial resources that dedicates his time to solving mysteries. He is known as the world's greatest detective. If he wanted to find me, if he truly wanted to find me, he would have."

"You don't really believe that."

"I know that for a fact. He believed I would've destroyed everything he had ever worked for. It was a simple choice between his unwanted son and his beloved city. And I lost."

"So you decided to take it out on him by doing what your mother had always planned for you?"

"It really seems that way, doesn't it? But this has nothing to do with him, or her for that matter." he shrugs "I just figured that if I can't belong anywhere I would own everywhere."

Dick is not quite sure if he's impressed or appalled by that logic. "And how's that working out for you?"

"Famously." he gestures around cynically.

There's so much he should be asking, but his mind keeps coming back to the same thing "Did you really wait for me to come?"

"You shouldn't take her words to heart."

"I looked for you. You know that, right?"

"Of course." Damian springs from the window to the door "I will fetch us something to eat. I'd send you, but mother might still be lurking and there is no way your ass would survive a second encounter."

"Damian?"

"What, Grayson?" he asked tiredly, just on the edge of the doorframe.

Dick thought about saying how Damian always belonged with him, how they were family "What did Talia do to you?"

"Everything she wanted."

"What does that mean?"

"It means there's nothing more she can do to me. And that terrifies her."

Damian left before Dick could think of a reply, but the reason why he was there was pretty clear. He was leverage. And Damian hated him for it.

* * *

**A/N.:** I kinda love this chapter? Maybe it makes me creepy, I don't even know.

Thanks for the faves and follows! It's you guys that keep this story going!

And for the Guest that reviewed last chapter, Batman won't be showing up for now, but I'd say he's just figuring out that Dick's gone.

Oh yeah, reviews are highly apreciated!


	4. Boy

Damian had slender fingers. Strong, rough finger, yes, but you could never tell those hands were able to kill. They looked like musician's hands.

Dick didn't say that, just watched as they worked on picking out all of the broken glass from the fallen chandelier from his arm.

He tried to find the ten-year-old he once knew in the stranger in front of him, but the stranger was so damn _distracting_. Damian the boy had hard features, he wasn't an ugly kid, but… most of the time he didn't really look like a kid, too serious, too angry. The Damian in front of him was… Old Hollywood. All melancholy and long stares into the distance, kinda like a young Alain Delon, but you know… murderous and not French.

"You are staring." Dick startled at the sound of Damian's voice.

"It's my arm you're poking at, gotta keep an eye on you."

Dick waits for the 'I've been suturing wounds since I was six months old, Grayson.', but Damian doesn't even dignify him with an eye roll, it's more like a tiny eyebrow shrug.

It's almost like Damian has run out of real words for the day; he brought Dick food and was patching his wounds, not seeming to care that his own were unattended, and though the silence between them wasn't absolute, it wasn't companionable either.

"Why don't you just leave?" Dick asked after Damian put the tweezers down "I can tell you hate it here, and if you know how to get out, why don't you just pack and go?"

Damian rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple of times, he'd been straining them in concentration for quite a while cleaning Dick's arm "You should eat."

"So you're gonna pretend I'm not asking you anything?"

"I would recommend the cherries, they are particularly sweet."

"Damian, you killed a guy back there."

The smile Damian gives him is unreal. It's slow and hard, full of sharp teeth and malicious intent. "The shower is over there" he points, but Dick doesn't turn to look where, still unable to get over the look in Damian's eyes "After you're finished I'll wrap your wounds."

Yeah, like Dick will let him get within arm's reach after _that_ creepy face "You have no idea how to handle this, do you? You promised you'd get me home, but getting me home means you care about my safety in some level, and if you care Talia can use me as a pawn in her little war against you. I mean, I don't get why you two are at war in the first place, but that's it, isn't it?"

Damian watched blankly as Dick paced and ranted, the half-moon marks left by Talia's fingernails were bright red with blood on his cheek "I meant it as…" his eyes get distant as he thinks of a word "_appreciation_. You were in my position when we first met and you took me in after father was believed dead, allowed me to bare the mantle of Robin, tried to turn me into a suitable partner…" he shrugged one shoulder "I was merely attempting to repay you the courtesy. If it annoys you, I could just ignore you completely."

He demonstrated that by getting up and moving to the furthest corner of the bedroom where there was a desk and began looking over a map.

"Hey, wait. What do you mean I was in your position when we first met?"

Damian starts scribbling on a slip of paper "Go shower, go eat. I do not have time for this."

"You said you don't want me here, so… You think I didn't want you there?" Dick leans forward, staring baffled at Damian who sighs looking up.

"I forgot how hard to ignore you can be." Dick opens his mouth, ready to make Damian listen to him, because this whole thing is too fucking crazy but Damian is faster "No." he points to the bathroom door in a way that reminds Dick of Bruce "Go shower. Eat. Sleep. Then we'll talk."

"You remember I'm not really your pet or whatever, right? 'Cause you keep ordering me around like it slipped your mind."

"I will not address you anymore until you have stopped looking like a homeless person."

Dick sits down with a huff and starts stuffing his face with anything he can reach from the platter of food Damian brought earlier. The cherries _are_ fantastically sweet. It's so fucking infuriating.

He didn't even realize how hungry he had been until that moment, so he decided to let Damian look through his maps and write in his stupid notebook for the time being.

Fucking cherries.

The shower was _amazing_, in fact, if this wasn't pretty much a hostage situation, he'd be having a blast. It occurred to him that maybe this was some attempt to pull a Stockholm Syndrome on him, and he seriously appreciated the effort, the shower was _that_ awesome.

When he got out, Damian was gone. Which, by the way, only proved he was his parents' son. He bribed him with great stuff – Talia – then disappeared – Bruce.

Dick pondered his choices – which weren't many – and came to the conclusion that he _really_ wanted to go back to that bedroom with all the drawing pinned to the headboard. So he did.

This time, no one interrupted him on the way there, actually he didn't hear a single sound, like the whole place was empty. The bedroom looked pretty much the same as Dick remembered, and there was Titus, drawn with pencil staring at him with his doggy grin.

On a different sheet he spotted Gotham's skyline and on the other various sketches of Damian's face, sleeping, with Alain Delon's distant stare, with his face completely bloodied... Not _one_ with a smile, not even that creepy mockery of a grin he used on Dick before.

On the bedside table he found an unfinished drawing with three people, two men and a woman, on what looked like it was going to be a forest. Dick wondered who those were.

He wanted to snoop some more, but all of the pictures were pinned too close together and by moving one he'd misplace the others and someone was bound to notice and the rest of the room didn't have anything of interest, nothing personal.

The return to Damian's bedroom also presented no trouble and Damian was nowhere to be seen. Dick sat down on the couch feeling more than a little bitter resigned himself with waiting.

Against his wishes, but with nothing better to do, he dozed off.

His eyes opened slightly to see Damian sitting on the window, eating cherries distractedly. Dick wanted to say something, anything, but he blinked first, well, he thought he blinked, but he must've slept again because this time, he was alone again.

Pissed beyond imagination, Dick stomped to the door, not caring who he would have to go through to get the hell out of there, and found himself face to face with a bloodied Damian.

It wasn't like the sketch, he wasn't sporting a clever look and a devil may care attitude, Damian was roughed up, bruises forming and peaking over his collar and sleeves.

"Oh" Damian said flatly "You're still here." And pushed Dick out of the way.

"What happened?!" Dick stepped closer only to be pushed away again "Is that your blood?"

Damian didn't answer and sat down on the bed slowly. "Richard, may I tell you something?"

Not exactly what Dick was expecting but… "Okay."

"You should kill me. If you were smart, you would kill me and leave." Damian's eyes were glazed over and unseeing.

"What?" Dick asks mildly horrified.

"You would have a forty minutes head start. Plenty of time to vanish before anyone even notices you're gone. There are ways to leave this place undetected."

"I'm not gonna kill you, Damian."

"Of course not, you're not that smart. But you'd have my permission. He wouldn't understand, at first and would come after you."

"Who?"

Damian kept speaking through Dick's question "But you'd make him see reason." he stared at his hands and tried to wipe the blood on the thighs of his pants "You would take him in and he would be everything you had expected of me."

"I don't understand."

Damian brings a finger to his lips, effectively silencing Dick. He's oddly alert now as he motions for Dick to step back further away, something Dick is about to question when he sees the ninja.

There's no other way to call the intruder, who'd look almost cartoonish if not for the sharp looking scimitar he's carrying.

Damian is limp now, head bowed to his chest, as if he passed out that way, the ninja raises the scimitar over his head and strikes.

Dick was already jumping in when Damian grabbed the blade with his naked hand. The blood flow was impressive, scary, but the move startled the ninja enough for Damian to have time to grab the intruder's head with his free hand and pulls it down while shoving the scimitar up.

The suffocated noise that escaped the ninja's lips only lasted a second and he fell heavily.

"Shit, Damian, your hand" Dick breathes and searches around for the first aid kit used on his own wounds earlier. Damian's hand on his shoulder stops him.

"I have never asked you for anything, and I need you to promise me he'll be safe with you." Beneath all the blood, his face is ashen "In fact, make sure he stays away from father as well, I want him to have at least a small chance at being somehow mentally stable."

"What are you talking about?"

"_Promise me._" Damian demands in a growl through gritted teeth with closed eyes.

"I do." Dick says quickly, because what else was he supposed to do? "I promise."

Damian actually sags in relief, but suddenly is letting go of Dick's shoulder and grabbing his own, expression scrunching in anger and pain like he was just shot, and yet when he turns to face Dick he's almost smiling, and it's not the creepy one "That's good" his eyes are dropping and so is his body "That's good…" Damian repeats before falling face first in his pillow, already sleeping.

Now that was weird.

Not just the talk, but the way Damian passed out. It couldn't be from an injured shoulder; Dick had seen firsthand when Damian was shot several times and got immobilized, and even then the kid was completely awake – and bitching – pain is not really an issue. His reaction looked a lot like he'd been injected with something.

Which was even weirder.

And the things Damian said… Dick tries to make sense of that little chat, but can't for the life of him imagine who Damian would want to protect so bad. Could the kid be hallucinating?

Who the hell knew what kind of stuff was in the kid's system, maybe Talia over did it this time. Thankfully Damian was still breathing.

"Brother?" a tiny voice hoarse with sleep called from the door and Dick watched in amazement as a small, skinny boy padded his way to Damian's bed on bare feet "Brother," the boy moaned climbing on the mattress "you are _not_ supposed to be asleep, you know that!"

Dick doesn't expect Damian to acknowledge anything or anyone at that point, but he murmured a "I'm not asleep." muffled by the pillow, then shifted his head enough to show the boy a flash of teeth that could've been a smile and his nearly mangled hand lifted, almost on its own accord to touch a fingertip to the boy's cheek in what looked like a light caressing motion.

The boy huffed, shoulders dropping and he takes hold of the hand sliding tiny fingers down the wrist towards the elbow "Liar."

Damian was out like a light again. The boy frowned at that and touched two fingers to Damian's neck – checking his vitals, Dick realized – then sat back and looked straight at Dick, like he'd known there was someone there the whole time.

And staring directly at the boy's face blew Dick's mind. That was Damian. Same eyes, nose, mouth, only around 7 or 8 years old. There was a symbol on the other side of his face, and it dawned on Dick that Damian hadn't caressed the boy, he had drawn on his cheek with blood. Dick couldn't make out the symbol.

Talia engineered another child.

Suddenly that whole promise talk started to make sense in some bizarre Twilight Zone kind of way.

"You're brother's pet, aren't you?" the boy asked, supporting his elbow on Damian's hip and leaning his head on his hand, completely focused on Dick.

Dick wanted to deny that, but his brain had shut down and he couldn't think of any way to explain the situation, and… well, what was the point? "Yeah, I guess."

"I'm not allowed to have a pet yet. Mother says I'm much too young." Dick shuddered thinking about what Talia meant by that "But brother told me he'd give me a pet I would actually enjoy. I believe he means a horse." the boy finished thoughtfully "What does he call you?"

Dick is about to say his first name when he rethinks the question "Grayson."

"Grayson." the boy echoes, eyes wide with wonder "He must've named you after the knight."

"What knight?"

"The Knight Wing. Haven't you heard the story?"

It feels like being bitch slapped with words. Dick catches himself staring at Damian's sleeping form and forces his attention back to the little boy "I don't think I know that one…" he clears his throat "Can you tell me?"

The smile he gets is so bright it's almost blinding. Damian – the big one – has _never_ looked that happy about anything. "I know everything that's happened so far, but…" the boy starts, clearly trying to contain his excitement "Brother tells it so much better than I ever could. He does the characters voices."

Dick smiles at that. Now he _knows_ it's not Damian, no matter how much they look alike. Damian would never admit being second to anyone "I'm sure you'll be great."

* * *

**A/N.:** Turns out you guys are just as creepy as I am, 'cause last chapter got me a ton of followers!

Not that I'm complaining, us creeps have to unite. In fact, I apreciated the faves and follows very, very much! As I said, it's what keeps this moving.

I hope you guys enjoy this one too, stuff's about to go a little (a lot) crazy


	5. Story

_There once was a kingdom. It was a very dangerous kingdom, but the King and his knights did their best to keep the peace._

Guards dragged a young man through spacey hallways lit by low warm lights, lined with suits of armor on both sides, watching as the terrified young man sobbed pitifully. He kept mumbling in some weird language and one of the guards got tired of being stuck to the language barrier, backhanding the boy in what he was sure was the worldwide known sign to shut up.

_The King had many enemies, but one of the most dangerous was the Desert Witch. She wanted the Prince, the King's son, to complete a spell that would give her enormous power, but knowing there was no way she could simply take the Prince without being hunted down, she casted a curse upon the entire kingdom, making them forget about the prince._

The doors to the command room were huge and it took both guards to open them, but the young man made no attempt to escape, merely dropping to his knees, his entire body shaking. The room itself was mostly bare, the space was necessary when the Commander called his men to dispatch orders. At the back of the room there were elevated steps, much like a throne room where the Commander sat, examining maps. He lifted his eyes to the newcomers.

"We caught this one about to sneak in over the back wall. We think he's with the League."

The Commander stood, his expensive colorful clothes shimmering in the light "So that bitch and her little worm think they can get to me through a spy, huh?"

"No, no!" the young man cried out in terror "Not spy. I'm gift!" he explained with a heavy accent, making the guards exchange uncomfortable looks. They had thought the young man couldn't speak their language.

_The Witch came to the palace and told the King that she wouldn't bring them any harm, all she wanted was a simple page boy of her choice. Not recognizing his own son, the King had no problem in handing over the screaming boy. What was a single life against the whole kingdom? As a punch line for a joke that only she understood, the Desert Witch also robbed the Kingdom of their names, making sure that each and every person was left wondering what it was, like a word you can't remember but can feel it right there on the tip of your tongue._

"A gift?" the Commander echoed, that notion made him look at the boy under a different light, taking in his fine features and strong build "What kind of gift?"

"I'm good." the young man said with all the conviction he could muster "Mistress always tells I'm good. I do right."

"What is it you do right?"

"I'm strong, learn fast. I do all you want."

The Commander buried gloved fingers in the young man's soft black hair, turning his head up to evaluate the look on those startling blue eyes. Still holding the boy, the Commander addressed the guards "Leave us."

The guards exchanged a quick look, but turned on their heels as was ordered. The last thing they saw when closing the door was the Commander sitting back on his high chair, beckoning the young man to kneel between his spread legs.

_The life on the kingdom went on as it usually did, people wondered why the Desert Witch stole their names, but of all the things that could've happened this one was a minor annoyance. They would now have to answer by their titles instead, there were worst fates._

_And the prince was forgotten by all. All but one._

_The King's most loyal knight, now called the Knight Wing, knew there was something amiss, he remembered that there was a boy where now there was none. Knight Wing's heart was heavy for he missed something no one believed existed. The King did not appreciate one of his knights, his favorite no less, stirring up doubt amongst the common folk, if the Desert Witch had taken someone from the Knight Wing, what else could she have done that they had no memory of?_

Through the closed doors the guards could hear the Commander's low chuckle and murmured voice, even if they couldn't make out what was being said. Suddenly the noises grew louder, making both men shift awkwardly, this wasn't meant for their ears, but they knew better than to step away; after he was finished, the Commander would request them to clean up whatever was left of the so called gift from the League.

It must've been a good gift for the Commander's moans were growing louder and louder, until he let out a cry that was cut short, turning into a series of choked out gurgling sounds that had the guards barging in.

They expected to see an attack, even considered the possibility that the Commander was already dead, but the carnage before them was beyond their wildest thoughts.

The young man stood shirtless, his chest and neck covered with the Commander's bloody palm prints, twirling a butterfly knife lazily. "Gentlemen," he said, his former accent barely there "I would have words."

_Even after the King's protests, Knight Wing did not waver since his loyalty was only surpassed by his stubbornness and he set it upon himself to find the Desert Witch and discover who the boy he'd often see in his dreams was._

_The King denied any assistance in such odd self-imposed mission, but help could come in the form of a pariah. The Red Archer was known for having the finest aim throughout the realm, he had also been a knight very much beloved by all, but his life was cut short when he was murdered by another of the King's many enemies. The Archer was brought back to life by the Desert Witch herself to be used as a weapon in an attempt against the King's life. He never fulfilled his role on her dark purposes, but was still banned from the kingdom for being such an aberration. Knight Wing had once considered him a brother and hoped he would share his knowledge on the Witch to aid in the search._

_Whatever it was the Witch had done to bring the Red Archer back, it made him different, he was considered untrustworthy, murderous, but he remained Knight Wing's best lead._

The guards radioed for backup and the young man sat down on the Commander's chair, resting his feet on the ribs of the mangled corpse on the floor, not disguising his boredom in the least.

"He killed the Commander, shoot-" one of the guards was shouting when the armed backup arrived but was interrupted by the butterfly knife buried in his eye socket.

"Do you know who I am?" the young man asked leaning his elbows on his knees, attracting all eyes, the shock kept anyone from moving "No one?"

"Algol." one of the men said "The demon head."

"See?" the young man stood then, the hand shape painted in blood covering his neck and jaw looked like war paint "Knowledge _is_ power. Had our Commander known who I was, things could've ended very differently for me. Alas, here we are." he stepped forward, his foot squashing one of the Commander's fallen eyeballs "And I have a proposition to make."

"A proposition" a second man scoffed "What do you take us for?"

"I take you for men who want to live."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is fact. You all know who I am now, isn't it quite clear what will happen if you decide to kill me?"

"Well, we just-"

The size of the room amplified the shot, and the small army searched for the young man, so sure he'd be the one to fall dead, but it was one of their own, the one questioning the so called demon head who crumpled down.

"That was rhetorical." the young man held a smoking gun – the Commander's gun – "If we are finished with your brilliant insights, I have a job offer for this fine group of gentlemen."

"You want us to work for the League?" someone asked.

"No. The League wants you as dead as your… _former_ Commander. The offer is mine. You are to remain as you were, you will work, you will be paid, and you will answer only and directly to me. Any forms of protest regarding the former regime will be handled just as the regime itself was." he nudged the open carcass with foot "After all, loyalties are very much appreciated, as long as they are not directed at a lost cause."

_The Red Archer held no allegiances and sought no friends, using his exile as a shield from the outer world. He would carry forever the pain from his trip to the afterlife and the felling of betrayal from being casted away by the King was still much too fresh. Knight Wing's presence was not welcomed._

_They fought. The brotherhood formed years ago completely forgotten as they drew blood with fists and deeper wounds with words. The only thing that kept them from killing each other was an interruption from a forest nymph sent by the Oracle and even if Knight Wing and Red Archer couldn't come to terms, neither would ignore a message from the Oracle, a woman so wise even the King took her words to heart._

_The nymph, called Purple Maiden, told them the Oracle had foreseen that Knight Wing's quest was dangerous, but not impossible and if both men saw it through together, even Red Archer would find what he wanted most._

"And what was it?" Dick asked "What did the Red Archer want the most?"

The boy shrugged "I do not know. Brother has not told me yet. He did say the Purple Maiden took part on their quest for the Prince. Later they were joined by a squire who had been following Knight Wing all along. Red Archer named him Squire Stalker, and I do not care much for him."

Dick took the moment of silence to digest the fairytale Damian had created as the boy stretched his neck to look out the window.

"You said-" Dick cleared his throat "Did Damian, ahm… The name. Grayson."

"Oh, Knight Wing was poisoned by Vogelscheuche and forced to experience his worst fears, Red Archer and Purple Maiden thought he would die, but he overcame it. Surviving such horrifying trial brought enlightenment and broke one of the Witches curses making him remember his name. Oracle believes this means they are closer to the end of the quest."

"Oh." Dick felt like his brain was melting out of his ears.

"I must go now." the boy told him glancing back at his brother.

"What?" Dick startled when the boy jumped down, ready to leave "Wait! Why?"

"They come at night," he said a bit urgently, checking the hallway "to see if I am not asleep. I cannot fail this or they will send me back to the White Room." he disappeared, but a moment later rushed back to the door smiling timidly "Did you like the story?"

"Yeah…" Dick nodded and saw the smile grow "Hey, kid!" Dick called just as the boy was about to bolt "You never told me your name."

"Alexander. Do you think brother will let me play with you?"

Dick did a poor job of hiding his grimace at the wording "Sure, I guess."

"Good." Alexander beamed "You are nicer than mother's pets. They are mean to me and I heard her say they break quickly. You won't break, will you?"

"I sure hope not!" Dick squirmed uncomfortably and Alexander giggled.

"Good night, Grayson!" he waved before rushing out.

Dick turned to Damian's sleeping form and wondered what the hell else he could be hiding.

* * *

**A/N.:** I don't know what everyone will think, but this is seriously my favorite chapter.

Actually it's pretty much one of my favorite chapters in all my stories, I loved the fable concept, and I hope everyone does too.

And just so everyone knows, there will be a slash kinda dream sequence in the future, if anyone is bothered by it, tell me so in the reviews and I will warn in advance when it comes up, 'kay?

Thanks for the faves and follows!


	6. Rooms

There was still a dead body on the floor, so Dick focused on Damian's sleeping form, which for the longest time, didn't move. Dick thought that made sense, giving how exhausted he had looked and how he passed out before, but suddenly, things changed.

It was just a twitchy wrist at first, in the next moment it was a full on body motion that had Damian banging his head on the headboard viciously.

Dick sprung out from his spot on the couch and tried to shield Damian's head the best he could, but the kid kept on fighting him every step of the way.

"Damian, wake up!" Dick called "You're hurting yourself, wake up!"

Damian's eyes snapped open and his hand flew to Dick's throat "What are you doing?"

Dick swallowed hard "I thought you were convulsing or something. Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Damian took a moment to glance around before his eyes landed on his own arm and his whole expression twisted into something wild. The next thing Dick knew, he was on his back, Damian on top of him, growling "Who was here?"

"What?" Dick choked out through the hand still pressing against his throat.

"Who was here? There was somebody here."

"Your brother." the hand closed a little more, and Dick's eyes nearly crossed.

Damian leaned forward "What did you say to him?"

Using his elbow to hit Damian's chin, Dick freed himself from sheets and limbs and shoved Damian away, managing to press the kid back down on the mattress. "_Nothing_." he stated a little more forcefully than he'd planned, shaking Damian's shoulders "I said nothing."

Damian sagged back into the pillows when Dick let him go, but then blinked and lifted his upper body, leaning his weight on his elbows "You are bleeding." he said worriedly, tilting his head slightly to the side like a child or a puppy, the former ferocity nowhere to be seen.

"What?" Dick asked, completely thrown by the sudden change of topic. And he felt _fine_. You know, other than having a bipolar assassin staring at him like a kicked puppy.

Damian's long fingers daintily brushed the skin of Dick throat and pulled back instantly, like it burned him. Dick touched his own neck and gawked at the red painting his hand, yet he felt absolutely nothing. He sat back, legs still tangled with Damian's, and that seemed to break the spell Damian was under; Dick watched in shock as Damian sprung out of bed looking desperate.

"I didn't mean it." Damian mumbled hurriedly, stepping back further and further away, until his back hit the wall "I vowed not to harm you, I did _not_ want this to happen. I cannot lose control like this, I am _above_ it." he didn't seem so sure of his words by the end, pressing himself further against the wall "I did not mean it."

Dick had this plan of being pissed at Damian for the whole attack upon waking, but he had no idea what to do now, so… he gawked.

Damian was shaking visibly – almost violently –, eyes fixed on Dick's neck. It took Dick a moment to spot the dripping blood on Damian's fingertips; he sighed, though he wasn't really relieved "_You're_ bleeding."

The cut that had happened during the ninja attack from before had reopened and was bleeding freely again. Damian moved his fingers in front of his face mystified, as if he couldn't believe it was his hand.

Dick stood slowly to get the medical kit, and as Damian still hadn't move from his position, he began to relax minutely. "How did you know your brother came by?" Dick asked carefully, trying to gage Damian's reaction.

Damian had been busy closing his hand tightly into a fist and watching the blood flow, but Dick's voice made him blink, not completely there yet "The drawings." he muttered.

Dick didn't know what the drawings meant, but there was no mistaking that Alexander had left some sort of message on Damian's arm, just as Damian had drawn something on the boy's cheek the sooner.

Letting himself be guided back to the back, Damian landed heavily on the mattress and Dick began to work on his wound. There was a bit of silence in which Damian watched intently as Dick's needle slowly mending his hand, his whole body occasionally shaking, even as he tried to keep his hand still.

"So… Alex, huh?"

That got Damian glaring "You do not get to give him nicknames."

"Fine." Dick rolled his eyes throwing his head in the motion "_Alexander._ Why didn't you tell me about him?"

Damian was obviously chewing on the inside of his cheeks; he looked pouty. Dick wasn't sure if he was thinking or trying to keep himself from stabbing Dick in the eye with the needle.

"What difference would it make? Alexander is a child. Naïve. He knows…" Damian's eyes search the room for the appropriate word "nothing."

"Naïve?" Dick echoes "So there's no training, no… no killing?"

Damian gives him _the look_, the one that makes him feel crazy "Alexander is an Al Ghul, he's being trained since… _Birth._ He made his first kill at four, don't be stupid."

For a single moment Dick was thrown back in time into a conversation with the 10-year-old he called Robin. He would've smiled at that if Damian hadn't just said Alex killed a man – the first of God knows how many – at the tender age of _four_.

"Why don't you just take him and leave?"

"You know this. We both know that, but you will make me say it. You _always_ make me say it." Dick is about to ask what Damian means by 'always', but he doesn't have the time "The pump." Damian taps his shoulder – the same he grabbed before collapsing – "According to mother the pump monitors heart rates and adrenaline levels and, if need be, it will shoot sedatives into my blood stream. Just enough to take the edge off and give me enough time to return to base and get proper medical treatment."

"You have a permanent sedative pump? Inside your shoulder?"

"Yes." Damian agrees as if Dick had just summarized the facts so Damian could move on with his rant – which Dick totally hadn't done, he was just wildly confused – "But as you and I both _know_ the pump is actually a containment measure. Another one, that is. It is actually activated once I cross the limit distance from base. I have to check the new limit before every mission for a reason. I feel offended that mother did not think I would notice that."

"She can track you?"

"Well, I'd think that's a given, considering it _is_ mother we are talking about."

How can he sound so chilled? Dick knows there's something there, he can't quite grasp it yet. "Wait, so _that's_ what happened when you got back to the room? You got dosed and passed out? But you weren't even away from base."

"Do we have go to over everything?" Damian nearly whines tiredly, leaning his head on his hand like he can't hold it up anymore "This is not like last time, I remember." at the sight of the blank look on Dick's face, Damian began rubbing his eyes "I developed high tolerance to whatever sedative this is, therefore I get three doses instead of one with a 15 minute space in-between them."

"Damian," Dick squeezed the hand he was stitching and Damian eyed him through fingers and hair "this is serious. You had a _seizure_."

"Yes, I wasn't counting on that…" Damian agreed distantly "I had hope that the only side effects would be the hallucinations." he gestured to Dick "This might turn into a problem in the long run."

"You're hallucinating?"

There's a faint laugh coming from Damian, it barely leaves his throat as he leans back on the bed, careful not to move his injured hand away from Dick's lose grasp "It _is_ rather ironic that you would be the one to help me focus. When you were in fact present I had nothing but mayhem and distraction."

"Damian" Dick called again, softer this time "I'm not a hallucination."

"Of course not… You are my _consciousness_." Damian shrugged one shoulder "I do not care for labels."

That was it right there; the thing bugging Dick about the way Damian was talking.

That near smile gracing Damian's face, how he's so forthcoming with such intimate – and creepy let's be honest – information, the way he kept looking at Dick like they were actually _friends_… He had _never_ looked at Dick quite like that, not even when they lived and worked together.

This didn't mean he trusted Dick, Damian probably didn't trust anyone but himself.

_You are my_ consciousness.

Damian wasn't talking to Dick. Damian was talking to himself, thinking aloud.

It took Dick a long moment to process his new status as a hallucination; he breathed in deeply and finished stitching Damian's hand before he could decide what his next question would be.

Damian seemed to do this a lot, use Dick – well at least Dick's image – as a way to keep him frosty and in control, as a way to sort all through all the crap that happened during the day and keep his mind focused on the useful stuff.

Dick wondered if that had been the way Damian's mind always worked, or if whatever it was Talia had been doing to him was taking its toll. There's absolutely no way Damian's wouldn't be stressed the hell out.

"Why don't you just…" Dick puts the needle away and inspects his work "Rip that thing, that… pump, out of your shoulder and go?"

"Because the second I manage to get it out, Alexander will be instantly knocked unconscious by _his_ pump." Damian yawns and stretches, but his hand remains on Dick's lap "And vice-versa."

_He's tried._ Dick suddenly realizes. Damian has tried to escape, more than once by the sound of it, but was tracked down, sedated or was slowed down by his clone. Brother. Kid that looks like him.

There's no way Damian could be so sure of these things if he hadn't tested them.

"Didn't you ever think of leaving alone? You could get help and come back for Alex."

_You could've come to me._

"No." Damian's weird little peppiness died down a notch and he stared hard at the ceiling "I cannot leave Alexander alone with mother. So far he means nothing to her, a mere… trade coin, an insurance against grandfather, but that will only last as long as I am around. If I leave, he becomes my substitute. And what mother will do to him… She will break him, and piece him back together to fit her will. Mother will break him, Grayson." he turns his head to look at Dick "He is just a child."

"So were you."

Damian turns back to the ceiling "I have never been just a child."

They are silent; Dick has no way to answer that, but Damian didn't seem to be expecting anything.

Still stretched across the mattress, Damian's eyes began to drop until he was asleep. It was hard not to notice how much younger he looked; no, not younger, Damian looked his own age for once without all those worry lines around his eyes.

It was mind-numbing, all of it, and Dick blanked out for a moment.

He felt so fucking drained. He stood, intending on crashing on the couch and sleeping for five years; he completely forgot about Damian's hand leaning on his leg, but said hand never actually fell.

Damian's eyes – sharper now, looking more like himself – were open again, and went from Dick's face to his own palm.

"Everything okay?" Dick asks carefully and watches Damian's eyes fluttering like he was startled by the question.

"I… haven't had someone else suturing a wound of mine in a really long time."

Before Dick has time to react, Damian kicks off his shoes on top of the dead ninja – who Dick had totally forgotten about and now felt a little grossed out – and was already making way to his pillow.

"Damian, there's a dead guy on your floor."

Damian lifts his head and normally Dick would've laughed at his bed hair and heavy lidded eyes, but not this time. "You cannot find decent help these days." Damian mumbles snobbishly and lets his head fall back to the pillow "They will come and do the clean-up eventually. You can rest assure now, no one will disrupt the night with another attack."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Mother knows I'm alert now, I'm ready for whatever she could throw my way." he doesn't look alert at all; as far as Dick can tell, he's nearly sleep talking, but oh well "From her point of view, where would be the fun in that?"

"She does this often? Attack you at night?"

"At night, in the morning, during missions… That one time in the shower was a bit awkward, but I am fairly certain she does not care." he yawned "I am going to sleep now, Grayson."

"Okay. Sweet dreams then, I guess."

Damian laughed then. It was short and low, it was rich and warm, it was the first time Dick had ever heard Damian's actual laugh and that sound shook him to the very core.

"Of course." Damian replied and snuggled to the pillow.

The whole thing shouldn't have been that fucking adorable, even if the word 'adorable' could actually be applied to Damian.

Dick fell asleep soon after with Damian's laughter still ringing in his ears.

When he woke up, the feeling that it all had been a dream was so strong Dick enjoyed it for a long moment, but the blood on Damian's sheets was screaming at him.

As usual he was alone, even the body was gone, so Dick did what he usually did when left alone and decided to go do something stupid. Unfortunately, somehow his feet led him to Alex's room; it was pretty lame how these things go sometimes.

He was about to turn around when he heard it "Do you think we will make it?"

And it was Stephanie's voice. A bit odd, younger maybe, Dick couldn't quite tell, but it made him freeze by the slightly ajar door.

"Do you think he's still alive?" Stephanie asked.

Dick couldn't understand why the hell Stephanie would be there, especially inside Alex's bedroom and it took a lot of self-restraint to not burst in, but he managed it and instead glanced through the small space between the door and the wall.

Damian sat on the floor leaning his back on the wall, long legs stretched before him, crossed at the ankles. His whole posture was relaxed, but his eyes were inexplicably sad.

"_No_" Damian's mouth moved, but it was Jason's voice spilling from his lips "_I think that the witch ganked him as soon as she got him, even if he wasn't just Wing's fucked up dream._" and the voice switched back to Damian's own "the Red Archer said. The Purple Maiden frowned, though she looked more irritated than upset, but before she could say anything, the Squire decided to join in the conversation" and it was Tim's voice "_Why are you doing this? You don't believe in anything, why do you even care?_"

"Yes!" Alex's voice piped in just then and Dick startled stepping back, he had no clue where the boy could be, he could only see Damian "Why _does_ the Red Archer care? I do not understand him."

Damian's lips curved up minutely "Does this mean you agree with the Squire?"

"_No._" Alex sounded horrified, and it _really_ seemed his voice was coming out of the ground "Well?"

"_What if he's not?_" Jason asks through Damian's lips_ "Wing's fucked up dream, I mean. What if he's sitting there… What if he's real?_"

It's fucking creepy as hell; Dick completely forgot Damian could do that and now it's making his hair stand on end.

"The Red Archer still trusts Knight Wing, does he not?" Alex asked and he was definitely underground somewhere.

"He might." Damian conceded, though his eyes looked sadder than ever "Shouldn't you try to rest? You fell asleep during a challenge, _again_. Take the punishment as a time to regroup."

"I did _not_ fall asleep, I finished the task. Ubu just… He does not like me."

Damian nods in agreement "Ubu doesn't like anyone."

"I cannot rest in the White Room."

"I will stay with you then. Would you like that?"

"Yes, please!" Alex's excitement is palpable even is Dick couldn't see him "Is Grayson there?"

"He is spying on us by the door." Damian's no nonsense makes Dick blink before he realizes he had been busted.

"Oh. Will he report to mother about you being here?" Alex asked with caution, mimicking Damian's lack of emotion almost perfectly.

"No."

"Hello, Grayson!" Alex calls happily, but doesn't seem to be expecting an answer "Brother, will you let me play with him once I am out?"

"If you manage to stay out for more than five minutes, yes."

"I did _not_ fall asleep!"

"I believe you."

Damian's voice is so flat it elicits a "-tt-" from Alex. Damian pursed his lips in an attempt to hold back a smile.

"Stop doing that. It's unbecoming."

"You do it."

"My point exactly."

Just a child. Damian said so, but Dick couldn't exactly believe him; now he saw it.

Their light banter made Dick's chest ache, and just as he looked away, Damian was suddenly on the doorway facing him.

"Do you have a death wish?" whatever little humor was coloring Damian's expression before was gone now "Must you always do the worst thing possible as soon as I turn my back?"

"There is no one here." Dick gestures to the empty hallway "There's never anyone out here. You keep saying you want me gone, that you will send me home as soon as you can, but you're not doing anything! You're just… hiding in your room making up fairytales."

For a moment it's almost as if Dick's words had no effect on Damian whatsoever, then Damian grabbed Dick by the arm and dragged him away from Alex's door.

"Come, then."

"Hey, wait-"

"You will come" Damian growled in his face "and you will see."

Dick still hears Alex's voice as he faintly called "Brother?" making Dick feel like an ass for disrupting the siblings' time together.

Damian paused and took a deep breath, his hold on Dick's arm grew stronger even as he leaned back enough for Alex to hear him "Close your eyes and start to count, I'll be here before you get to fifty."

And they're walking again.

The hallways still feel like a maze, but every now and then, Damian would bang his closed fist against a door Dick hadn't even seen was there "This is the White Room Alexander is currently locked in. We call it a room as a joke, it's a little more than a box with a door meant for sensory deprivation. One day in there and you're already climbing walls; the last time he got punished, Alexander spent ten days in full lockdown. This" _bang_ "is the Blue Room. We use it for training and simulations. Once more _simulation_ is a stretch of the word, if we do not succeed in the exercise the consequences are very real, Alexander has had both his legs broken during a task last year. This" _bang_ "is the Yellow Room, it is nothing but an infirmary, but the names are color coded because of mother's OCD. We're only allowed here if the injuries sustained are life threatening, Alexander has spent more nights here than in his own bed. This" _bang_ "is the Red Room, here they drug us and tear our clothes apart-"

"Stop it." Dick breathed.

"No, Richard" Damian's tone was sharp and his eyes completely cold "You said I was hiding in my room, we have lots of rooms here, you have to be more specific. This next one you're familiar with" Damian pushed open big green double doors and Dick found himself in the room he first woke up in "The Green Room, where mother sees visitors. At last, the reason why Alexander has never seen anything beyond these walls" that one is the door Dick tried to escape to when he had his last _meeting_ with Talia.

On the other side there is a small army running around, almost as if preparing for war. Dick knew the League's man power was large, but seeing it like that was… humbling.

"Not this room either?" Damian asks making Dick look at him "There is one more."

They head back to Damian's room, to his window to be more specific.

They're hanging over a cliff. There are waves breaking against the rocks, and it all seems like a world away.

"Is the wait boring you?" Damian's warm breath against Dick's ear fought with the cold breeze coming through the window "Do you have some place else to be? Be my guest, Richard. Let me just tell you, it's a long drop."

"Did you do it?" Dick asked still facing the waves "Did you jump?"

When he turns, Damian looks too pissed for words, but he powers through with a barked "_What?_"

"You told me about Alex being punished, getting hurt, what he did, what he didn't do… What about _you_? Did you jump out of this window? How far did you go before they got you? "

"Are you daft?" Damian's eyes are so wide in his bewilderment they probably hurt "Why would that matter?"

"It matters…" Dick doesn't know why that matters "It matters because I tried _so hard_ to find you. I need to know you at least tried to find me."

Damian didn't say anything, merely averting his eyes. Dick thought he was seeing things, because Damian looked insanely distraught.

"I need to get back to Alexander."

"Wait-" Dick tried, stepping closer.

"I _told_ him I would come back." Damian snapped "And _I_ don't break my promises."

"What do you mean?" Dick couldn't let this go, couldn't be alone in the room again, not with that cliff right outside the window mocking him "Damian!"

His chase is cut short when Damian comes to a complete halt. Before Dick can understand what's happening, Damian throws him against the wall, body flushed against Dick's; no action that forceful should come with the stricken look contorting Damian's usually so utterly serious face, it knocks all protests away from Dick's mind.

"I am _so_ sorry." Damian whispers brokenly and crashes their lips together.

Dick's pretty sure he just squeaked – embarrassingly loud – in surprise, but Damian swallowed the sound kissing him relentlessly, _hungrily_ – yet his fingers are gentle as they tangle on Dick's hair and trace his ribs.

"Hey!" Dick hears someone call distantly, but Damian still has time to drag his teeth along Dick's bottom lip and peer up at him through his retardedly long lashes.

His eyes carried so much sadness that Dick's lips – still tingling – parted as he sucked in a breath "Don't move" Damian commanded in a hushed voice. Suddenly his eyes were made of steel, no sign of the former sadness and his hand came up, leaning on the wall by Dick's head – and effectively shielding whoever was behind him from Dick's eyes – before looking over his shoulder "Yes?"

They spoke quickly in a different language. Dick saw the glint of a gun, but Damian's posture remained as relaxed as ever until he waved dismissively and turned his attention back to Dick.

Avoiding his eyes, Damian went back to kissing him; it's slower now, more intense somehow. The sound of steps – a lot of steps, which means a whole lot of people – is moving further away now. Dick risks a peek and sees at least seven armed men turning around the corner. Damian distances himself enough to look in the direction the man had now disappeared, his breath still fanned Dick's lips.

"A random patrol." Damian rolled his eyes and continued tiredly "_Once more_ 'random' is the official name, their pattern is just harder to predict, but not impossible, it changes every week." he turns to glare at Dick then "And _that_ is why you cannot go wondering about the base. To them you're nothing but a _slave_, what do you think they'll do to you if I am not around?"

"You just kissed me."

Damian rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose "Do you ever _listen_?"

His hands were shaking.

"_You just kissed me._" Dick repeated because… because.

"To save your dumb life!" Damian's hands were _really_ shaking "I…" he pushed his hair away from his face, even though it's not really in the way. His ears were flushed pink "I have to go back to Alexander."

This time when Damian turns, Dick doesn't try to stop him. He has worked long enough with Bruce to know that sometimes he had to let some things go for a little while – you know, long enough that you don't get your face bashed in by mentioning it – and _then_ bring it up at the most inopportune and awkward moment possible.

This technique's success rate was unbelievably high.

Dick follows in silence – even though he's pretty sure Damian expected him to stay in his room – so he hears Alex's slow enunciated counting "Forty-eight, forty-nine…"

"I'm here." Damian says slightly breathless, kneeling on the floor where Alex's voice is coming from "I told you I'd be back."

"-tt-" Alex huffed exaggeratedly "Yes, but I had to count _three times_."

"Are you _sure_ you're related?" Dick asks casually sitting by the foot of Alex's bed, Damian is already giving him the stink eye "'Cause that kid is _adorable._ Don't flip me off, Damian. It's unbecoming."

* * *

**A/N.:** Oh wow, this took _forever_.

It's kinda all over the place, but there's just so much background stuff that happen to Damian in his time with Talia... I'm pretty sure this chapter feels like a gut punch or something. Sorry!

I hope the kiss didn't offend or turn anyone off the story, but I think I mentioned there be something like that a few chapters ago. In fact, if it bothered you, get ready, 'cause there's still some stuff to come that might be worse.

This story just... ugh. It has a mind of its own, seriously...

Thanks for the reviews and follows! They're what keep me moving!


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